We Will Drying And Refinish Your Hardwood Floors After A Flood In Twin Falls
11/17/2019 (Permalink)
Drying and Refinishing Hardwood Floors after Flood Damage in Twin Falls
Wooden flooring can be at an exceptionally high risk of loss when exposed to large amounts of water for a prolonged period. However, hardwood flooring tends to stand-up better against moisture than softwoods, and you may be able to rescue your floorboards using specialty drying methods. When in the presence of moisture, hardwoods naturally buckle, warp and cup. Using the correct restoration procedures, you may be able to avoid buckling from becoming a permanent issue and significantly reduce the expense of your claim.
When hardwood floors are exposed to flood damage in your Twin Falls home, reaching out for professional restoration is essential to rescuing, and reversing the visible damage. The buckling of floorboards in the presence of moisture occurs because woods absorb moisture. A natural equilibrium for moisture in wood is around 12%, so the key to preventing damage is to bring the moisture content down as quickly as possible. The longer woods are exposed to moisture, the higher the chance of permanent damage. Mold growth and rot can appear when moisture content levels exceed 20% in natural woods.
Removing moisture from inside natural materials relies on dehumidification. Dry surrounding air can draw out moisture. SERVPRO technicians can use desiccant dehumidifiers to reduce relative humidity to 30% to 45%. When the moisture content of hardwood drops below 16%, we can place air-moving equipment above and below floorboards to reduce drying times. In some situations, varnish can slow drying by acting as a vapor barrier and require removal to dry wood effectively.
Larger rooms with high ceilings can make dehumidification tricky. SERVPRO can erect polyethylene tents above the floor to create a smaller drying chamber and increase efficiency. During the drying procedure, technicians can regularly assess the subfloor using Teflon coated moisture probes. The process of acclimatizing hardwood flooring can be long and take over a month before the floor can be sanded to remove buckling. Sanding while the floor is still wet may result in permanent harm. Once the floor restoration is complete, we can refinish the wood its preloss condition.
Hardwood floors do not necessarily sustain permanent damage when cupping. Contact SERVPRO of Twin Falls & Jerome Counties at (208) 735-1447 for hardwood restoration.
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